Window cleaner



Ma 13,1930. v T. J. O'NEILL v WINDOW CLEANER a Filled Maia 16, 1929 Patented May 13, 1339 TIMoTrrY J. ONEILL,

on NEW YORK, N. Y.

wrnnow CLEANER Application filed March 16, 1929. Serial No. 34?,478. 2

The main object of this invention is to provide a device for cleaning the surface of a window pane exterior of a room from a position within the room without danger to the person operating the device. The present method of cleaning a window is'that of causing a person to step or sit upon the window sill with the body of the person outside the window. This method is an old and antiquated Way of performing the operation of cleaning a window and is exceedingly hazardous in so far as it endangers theperson cleaning the Window. The main purpose of this invention is to providea device which will r permit the window cleaner to operateethe device from within the room danger whatsoever.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device so constructed as to permit its extension to fit any size of window.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device so constructed as to permit the cleaning portion of the device to be raised to any predetermined height, and theedevi ce is exceedingly useful for show windows, store windows and the like.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the description below, in which characters of reference refer to like-named parts in the drawing.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the device.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the same. I

Figure 3,is a side elevational view of the device showing the same in extended position suitable for the cleaning of large panes of glass.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectioned elevational View of the adjustablehandle locking means.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral indicates the rigid staff of the window cleaner. This staff 10 has slidable adjacent to it a movable handle bar 11. A strap 12, which encircles the staff 10 and the movable handle bar 11, to the latter of which it is secured, serves as a guide for these two members 10 and 11 to retain the same in close relation. Atthe lower end of the stalf 10 a without any similar strap 13 bounds the stalf 10 and movable handle bar 11. 'A yoke 14 is mounted outside of this strap 13 andprojects sidewise from the movable handle bar 11. This yoke 14 has openings therein which serve as a guide for a latchrod 15, which latter passes through an opening in the strap 13 and is adapted to enter into any one of a plurality of openings 19. The latch rod 15 is surmounted by a knob 16 and, withinthe confines of the yoke 14, a spring 17 is wound about the latch rod 15 and seats upon a flange 18, forming partof the latch rod 15, and the upper end of the yoke 14 and serves the purpose of normallyurging said latch rod 15 into extending position where it will drop into any of the openings 19 which are aligned with the latch rod 15. The upper end of the staff 10 has a right-angled projecting member 20 which serves as a support for one of the hinge units 21. A second hinge unit-22 cooperating with the hinge unit 21 is supported upon a right-angled extension 23 of a support beam 24. An U-shaped brace 25 is pivoted at the upper end of the staff 10 one pin 26 and is adapted to-be folded over the structure and retained in one of the positions shown in Figure 1 by a right-angled lock stud 27.. When the support beam 24 is rotated to a position substantially aligned with the staff 10, an I-bolt 28'serves'as a means for retaining the U-shaped brace 25 in secured position, as illustrated in Figure 3. The support beam 24 has a cleaner arm 29 adjustably secured to it by means of thumb nuts 30. The lower end of the cleaner arm 29 has a block 31 attached thereto in which a pair of rectangular clamp frames .32 and 34 are slidable. These clamp frames 32 and 34 have a lower connecting element 33 which serves as pinch bars for holding a cleaning pad of flannel, chamois or cheese cloth on the sur face of the block 31. The pinch bars 33 are normally held in contact with the surface of the block 31. The method of performing this function is accomplished by connecting the U-shaped frames 32 and 34 by a bar 35 whose intermediate portion is guided in the channel of a cage 36 about which a riser spring 37 is wound.v Adjacent the block 31 a pair of spaced-apart ears 38 are provided which pivotally receive a bell crank having a handle 39and a pair of lever arms 40, which latter rest upon the connecting bar 35 and shown in Figure 1 in which it has an U- shaped outline. The cleaning device may,

however, be utilized in a different manner for the purpose of cleamng thesurfaces of a large Window which are not within the reach of the 1 person polishing the window, and the 13081131011 of the window cleamng device when used for such a purpose 13 illustrated in Figure 3. To afliX a cleaning pad such as cheese cloth, flannelor chamols ,to. the cleaning surface of the block 31, thepinch bars 33 of the rectangular frames 32 and 3 1 are lowered by liftingthe handle lever 39. 'This function e (that of lifting the handle lever 39) acc0m.-

plishes the lowering of the handle lever arm 40 which exerts a pressure upon the connecting bar 351 against the tension of the spring 37 upon which the connecting bar 35 is seated andthus introduces a space between the pinch bars 33 and the surface of the block '31, permitting the introduction of a pad between these two members. Then the pad has been seated upon the block 31 and the lever 39 has been released, the pad is affixed in place and the device is then ready for use.' By slipping the window frame between the support arm 24 and the staff 10, and reciprocating the cle- Vice over'the surface of a window pane, the exterior surface of said window pane may be cleaned by the manipulator of the device who assumes aposition within the room, holding the staff 10 and handle bar 11 and reciprocating these two latter members. The staff 10 V and the handle bar 11 form an integral part of the support arm 24 and block 31, and the device is fullycapable of cleaning the exterior surface of a window pane. By rotating the support arm 24 from the position shown in Figure '1, in which it assumes a position parallel to the staff 10, to the extended position shown in Figure 3, in which it is arranged end to end with the staff 10, a window pane, such as a store Window, may becleaned.

The device lends itself to efiicient adjustment of itsparts; particularly thestaff 10 may be extended to locate the device under many circumstances. The staff 10 and handle bar 11 may be mutually interlocked by permitting the latch rod 15 to insert into any of the openings 19. When the knob 16 has been pulled upwardly away from the yoke 14, the staff 10 and handle bar 11 are disengaged from each other and the handle bar 11 maybe slid parallel to said staff 10 adjacent the lat ter to any desired adjusted position.

The manner of cleaning the exterior surface of a window has been described in this specification, but it is to be noted that the in terior surface of a window may be just as readily cleaned with the device by reversing the device so that the cleaning pad comes into contact with the interior surface of the window;

It is to be noted that certain changes in form and construction may be made without departing'from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a Window cleaner, a staff, a soft pad block on said staff, rectangular frames passing through said block, pinch bars forming part of said rectangular frames, a connecting arm joining said rectangular frames, and movable means engaging said connecting bar for normally urging'said pinch bars into contact with the surface of said block.

2. In a window cleaner, a staff, a pad block on said staff, rectangular frames passing through said block, pinch bars forming part of said rectangular frames at one side, a connecting arm oining said rectangular frames at their opposite sides, a spring engaging said connecting bar and said block for moving said rectangular frames and said block to cause said pinch bars to engage with said block, and means for retaining said spring in position beneath said connecting bar, and guiding said connect-ing bar in movement.

3. In a window cleaner, a pad block, rectangular frames passing through said block,

pinch bars forming one side of said rectangular frames, a connecting arm joining the other side of said rectangular frames, a spring engaging said block and said connecting bar for moving said rectangular frames to cause said pinch bars to engagewith said block, a channeled cage mounted on said block having said spring coiled thereabout and serving as a guide for said spring and said connecting bar, and means for depressing said rectangular frames to provide a space bet-ween said pinch bars and said block for the insertion of a pad between said pinch bars and saidblock.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. i

TIMOTHY J. ONEILL. 

